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Tuesday, April 22, 2008

That Faulty Localization Is a Real Killer: Cell Phones

I recall from my days of working on the Turkish localization of Microsoft Word 6.0 for Windows the joys of dealing with the famous Turkish dotted i character. Now comes a related tale of what some people are calling “faulty localization” of Turkish cell phones - one with deadly results.

Read on (note: some colorful non-inflight movie language involved)....

A Cellphone’s Missing Dot Kills Two People, Puts Three More in Jail

The local press say:

The local press has pointed out that the faulty localization of cellphones in Turkey is causing “serious problems” when it comes to certain “delicate words” in Turkish, and they are calling to enhance localization of technology to avoid these mistakes.

Actually, I’d put this down more as an internationalization problem, than one of localization. Either way, it might have been a lot more sensible to have logged a bug against the cell phone manufacturer.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Hazaar Fundas of Indian-English

Just back from India, where I picked up a wonderful, witty, and insightful book on the subject of Indian-English called “Entry From Backside Only: Hazaar Fundas of Indian-English” by B.K. John.

I believe the book was only published in India and Singapore originally, but it’s well worth getting your hands on a copy through Amazon.com or whatever. It really blows away the tiresome “Hinglish” anecdotes that are constantly recycled at the bar, and explores social, cultural, and political strands that combine to create this hybrid form of the English language.

As far back as 1882, there was an attempt to create an Indian-English dictionary (Hobson-Jobson by Yule and Burnell), which noted:

The words which we have to do taking the the most extensive view of the field are in face organic remains deposited under the various currents of external influence that have washed the shores of India during twenty centuries and more.

Written in a highly entertaining style too.

Monday, March 03, 2008

Plaxo Globalization

Interesting posting by Regina Bustamente of Plaxo on customizing Pulse for different markets.

She writes:

Last week we targeted our growing number of users in India and made it possible for them to import their Indiatimes or Rediff mail address books into Pulse. And we are also offering some beautiful eCards celebrating the popular Holi festival or Festival of Colors.

It’s really great to see Indian market concerns up there in the social networking space!

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Sorry, We Don't Do Your Name

I tried to book a flight using Carlson Wagonlit’s travel service today without success. I was attempting to book an Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to San Francisco.

Bizarrely, I was told by CWT support in Poland that they had now removed the apostrophe from my name because it was causing “synchronization” problems on their system.  Not from my user name, from my name. Imagine deploying a system in Ireland that can’t deal with names starting with O’.

Maybe they could use this error message in future:

I wouldn’t mind, but I only use O’Broin in the first place for the convenience of other people. It should be Ó Broin.

Thursday, February 07, 2008

Happy New Year: The Year of the Rat

Taking this opportunity to wish ALL our readers a very Happy Chinese New Year. Today is the first of January on the Lunar Calendar.

You can look up which animal is associated with your birth year here (60 year cycle matched up to the Western calendar for the years 1924 - 2043).

I’m off to join in the Year of the Rat celebrations in Dublin.

Sunday, November 18, 2007

MTV Arabia Localization

MTV continues its localization strategy, this time with MTV Arabia. The channel started broadcasting this weekend. “The region is attractive because it’s awash in petrodollars and two-thirds of the population is under 25.” according to BusinessWeek, adding “Middle Eastern youth may not agree with U.S. politics, but they can’t get enough of Western music and fashion.”

This is bound to be a popular channel, and “the first Arabic youth lifestyle channel will air locally produced programs, as well as international imports such as “Pimp My Ride” and “Cribs” , which should prove popular in the car and property-obsessed Gulf.” However, this move is still bound to face serious geocultural challenges, highlighting regional social and political issues that may not be so “cool”, as pointed out by the Financial Times.

A local “rapper” (whatever that is) informs us “that “Hip-hop is a movement, a form of expression that has long been denied the youth of the Arab world… rather than the “booty” and “bling” fixation of American rap music, however, their lyrics reflect topics such as the importance of education.” The MTV bosses are keen to emphasize that respect for local culture is a central broadcasting tenet from the get-go:

"MTV Arabia will tailor content for the conservative audiences of the Gulf, using the context of each video clip to judge its suitability. “A woman in a bikini is OK on a beach, but maybe not in the bedroom . . common sense will play a role.”

The words “wardrobe malfunction” immediately come to mind.

I’d prefer to wait and see it for myself. You can read more about such issues in the Oct/Nov 2007 issue of Multilingual. Read what Tom Edwards has to say about geocultural literacy, and John Freivald’s article on the U.S. rebranding of an unpopular war.

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Multilingual Synthesis

By way of redressing that last blog entry, and purely by way of diversion, I’ve picked up this cool multilingual image from Ramin Hossaini, by way of my Oracle coworker Daniela Kantorova.

Any guesses at the language and meaning?

Thursday, August 02, 2007

The Irish Invented Jazz, You Dig?

Yes, if you liked Thomas Cahill’s How the Irish Saved Civilization (But Then Blew It With Riverdance), then you should read Daniel Cassidy’s How the Irish Invented Slang: The Secret Language of the Crossroads.

Yes, blame the Irish. Even H. L. Mencken has been at it, stating that Irish influence on US-English is evident:

"Use of intensifying suffixes, often set down as characteristically American (were) probably borrowed from the Irish. Examples are no-siree and yes-indeedy and the later kiddo and skidoo. The Irishman is almost incapable of saying plain yes or no; he must always add some extra and gratuitous asseveration. The American is in like case… The Irish extravagance of speech struck a responsive chord in the American heart.”

Actually, Cassidy’s work is a fascinating book for those interested in language evolution in the United States. It seems that Irish roots can be traced to words such as: babe, baloney, dig, dude, gee, whiz, hokum, Holy Mackerel, Hot Diggity, humdinger, jazz, jerk, punk, razzmatazz, scam, swanky, top, twerp, and so on.

In the case of “jazz”, the derivation is “teas” (Irish for heat, passion, excitement, sex). As for “dig” (as in “understand” or “get") - it comes from “tuig” (to understand), for example: “You dig?” ("An dtuigeann tú?"). This is perhaps not that surprising, as Dizzy Gillespie recalled African Americans neighbors in Alabama who, at one time, spoke “exclusively in Scots Gaelic.”

Of course, the Irish have known all this for years. If you’re interested in a fun look at slang and language development, then check out http://www.urbandictionary.com/.

Monday, May 14, 2007

Good Chat Up Lines for the Next Localization Conference #1

As part of an occasional series, here’s the first ice-breaker for the next time you’re feeling lonely at the bar:

"Do you know any Franco-Nepalese word that has now entered the English language?”

The Financial Times does ("sous-sherpa").

E-mail me and let me know if this line works… and I shall inform the European Commission immediately.

Sunday, April 15, 2007

Village Gets Harlot Back

I previously wrote about the efforts in Ireland to roll back the Anglicanization (yes, I did choose that word deliberately) of Irish ("as Gaeilge") place names. Here’s the latest, from the Irish Independent of 14 April 2007.

The story goes:

"A small village is set to win its battle to have its harlot restored to the community and be officially recognised by the State....

Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Eamon Ó Cuiv has approved a request made to him by Limerick County Council to change the Irish name of An Dún (Doon) to Dún Bleisce.

The people of Doon overwhelmingly came together to have the word ‘bleisce’ - meaning harlot as Gaeilge - restored to Doon or ‘Dún’ in Irish.

The ‘bleisce’ part of the official name was previously dropped by the Placenames Commission in 2003.”

This is most encouraging news, especially welcome to those of us who resent the pollution of our culture by the most toxic elements of foreign culture (hip-hop speak, Americanizations, Garrison town language, and so on). Long may this campaign continue.

What intrigues me, though, is that the “Doon” part of the name means “fort” in Irish (Dún). I’m wondering what a harlot was doing with such a fortress? I suppose we’ll have to await for another cultural assault by the Riverdance Brigade to find out…

Friday, April 06, 2007

The Importance of Language QA

Don’t make the customer the test team.

I had occasion to discuss the issue of the sensitive issue of quick and cheap translations with my editorial board colleagues recently. So, I thought the following story was a good illustration of the importance of quality proofing your translations before they hit the street:

Canada to remove mistake-ridden WWI exhibit

Canada will remove the French-language exhibit at a major military memorial after a reporter discovered it was riddled with grammatical errors, Veterans Affairs Minister Greg Thompson said on Thursday.

It’s important to consider the end-user of translations; to avoid social and cultural offense. In Ireland, it seems to never end...

A referendum to decide whether a remote fishing port formerly known as Dingle can readopt its anglicised name has become a battleground for the future of the Irish language.

I’m sure we’ll hear more about this one!

Saturday, March 17, 2007

It will not be long before most of the priests in Ireland are Polish.

A reflection on Ireland’s changing culture, and some ideas for future articles in Multilingual Computing and Technology ... Oh, and Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig Oraibh!

YES, it’s true, as mentioned in this interesting article on the Polish experience in Ireland. A good indicator of the changing social, cultural, and political nature of the island of Ireland.  Normally, today, Saint Patrick’s Day is a time when I can cynically comment on the nature of the Irish abroad; this time, it’s a reverse view.

Today, at the Saint Patrick’s Day parade, the participants and watchers were a mass of different colors and cultures. I heard at least a dozen languages spoken around me. A trip earlier down Dublin’s Parnell Street could have had me in London’s Brick Lane or San Francisco’s Clement Street, just as easily. Ireland is experiencing immigration for the first time in hundreds of years, triggered by its Celtic Tiger success. Ireland is now one of the world’s most globalized countries according to some sources. Great changes are taking place:

Not too long ago, it was the Irish that emigrated to escape joblessness and hardship at home, most choosing to chase the American dream. But now people from other countries come to our shores to realise the Irish dream.

Since 2000, Ireland has welcomed some 750,000 newcomers from 211 countries.

According to the Central Statistics Office, 9% of the workforce and 10% of the population are foreign-born, indicative of levels of immigration that other European countries took decades to achieve.

(Source: Sunday Tribune)

These cultural changes - and their impact on social policy in terms of cultural understanding and communication - are some of the topics I’d like to look at in future editions of MLCT magazine (along with my usual stuff, of course ). This is a new area for me, as much as for anyone in this country, but I’m looking forward into digging deeper. As our president says:

Today’s emigrants to Ireland whether they come from Poland or Nigeria, China or Latvia are helping to replenish the wells from which tomorrow’s Ireland will draw its inspiration for the arts, politics, commercial and social entrepreneurship, community building, cuisine, education and much more. Our human links of family and friendship, with parts of the world from which we were historically and geographically removed, are being strengthened day by day, helping us to build global networks of shared memories, shared children, common endeavour and mutual understanding, things which build up rather than diminish our world.

Here are some images taken from the streets around my home in Dublin’s “Little Jerusalem”:

Irish ATM:

Madrassa:

Polish Product:

Bosnian, Asian, and Mediterranean Store:

Arabic Store:

So, for now: Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! (Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig Oraibh)

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